Evans & Prongs, Season One: Pandora's Box
by Movie Maker
Summary: The story of Harry Potter's parents' years at Hogwarts. Pandora's Box, the first season, tells about some evil events caused by a mysterious force known as Pandora's Box. There is also an unknown person after Lily and her friend, Marlene, with no good pla
1. Chapter 1: Friendship Trouble

Chapter One - Friendship Trouble

Lily Evans had started her fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Almost since she had arrived, she had met her two best friends: Marlene McKinnon and Alice Grahams. They were all Gryffindors. Though the last four years had changed Lily's life entirely, nothing out of normal (by Wizarding standards) had happened to her.

Also, since her second year, she had met that annoying James Potter. He had had an instant crush on her and immediately had let her know. Ever since, she had been struggling to get him out of her way, without succeeding.

One day, Lily was writing a letter to her beloved sister, Petunia.

_Dear Petty:  
How are you? I'm having a hard time here at Hogwarts. Last week, one of my best friends, Marlene, got mad at me because I embarrassed her at class. I hadn't meant to. It all happened because the Charms Professor, Flitwick, had asked us for a memory so we could complete the lesson about Pensieves (that's a magical object in which you place the memories you want). I got mistaken and showed the class a memory in which Marlene was making Alice and me laugh our heads off. However, it was personal and now she won't talk to me.  
I'm very confused. I hope this time you will answer my letters. My owl has specific instructions of getting to your school at midnight and dropping the letter on your bed, so none of your roommates will see it. I really expect your reply.  
Until then, I'll ask for advice to my other friend, Alice.  
__Love, Lily._

Lily walked out of the Owlery. Why do I even bother, she asked herself. Petunia never even OPENS my letters.

She got to the Gryffindor Common Room, and after saying "Rumpelstinskin" to the Fat Lady, she entered it.

"Lily, I was waiting for you!"

At the comfortable-looking red couch was sitting her friend, Alice Grahams.

"Were you able to speak to her, Alice?" asked Lily in a worried voice.

"No. She wouldn't let me. She told me I was on your side, so I wasn't on hers. I tried to explain I wasn't taking sides at all, but she just walked out."

"This is going so bad! Why did I even have to show that stupid memory?" asked Lily about to cry.

"It was an accident. A stupid accident, though."

Lily was about to tell Alice she wasn't helping, but then she remembered she wasn't taking sides and was just being objective.

"What can I do, Alice?"

"You should do something that calls her attention," said Alice. "Something so notorious and so heart-getting, that she just remembers how much she loves you".

"Like what?" asked Lily. That seemed as a good idea.

"Listen. One of Slughorn's parties is this weekend and both of us are invited. As we're allowed to invite someone else over, I'll try to invite Marlene. Then, you should ask for a break and tell everyone how you're sorry and how much you love her. She's not gonna be able to resist that."

"That sound awesome, but, what if she doesn't want to go with you?"

"That could be a problem, but we won't know until we try." Alice was suddenly some kind of friendship expert.

"We could do it on Flitwick's class instead. There, I could also show all the good times we spent together on the Pensieve."

"That's a good idea too, but it's too simple. It might not work... Anyways, we have only one chance. We cannot waste it. It's your choice. If it doesn't work, you might never be friends with Marlene again. So, what do you choose?"

It was the morning before next Flitwick's class. Marlene was sitting. She was very depressed. She still loved Lily and Alice as friends but she felt betrayed.

She was taking her breakfast when a familiar fluttering sound made her raise her sight. Owl mail!

A light brown owl landed next to her. It was carrying a letter on its beak and a little bag on one of its paws. Marlene took them. As she opened the letter, her father's owl set its flight again.

The letter said:  
_Dear Marlene:  
How is Hogwarts doing? I hope it's alright. In that little bag you shall find a little something I found while I made an inspection at the Department of Mysteries... well, I think I did. As I didn't find any abnormalities, I got my memory modified. It's a Ministry standard. However, I found this in my pocket later on. It doesn't seem harmful. I believe it belonged to some Unspeakable. If it had been a Mystery, I wouldn't have been able to carry it out. I know we don't see each other often, so keep it as something special from me to you.  
Love,  
Daddy_

Marlene put the letter back on its envelope and pocketed it. Then, she opened the little bag and found an ancient coin. It had some weird scripts on it, and the image of who seemed to be Julius Caesar. She grinned at it and pocketed it as well.

Lily's maple eyes scanned Flitwick's room with anxiety. She was sure about what she had to do.

At last, Marlene arrived to the room. Lily's heart started beating fast. She was nervous, but still determined.

Flitwick arrived to class punctually. Before he could even start speaking, Lily stood up and walked towards him. She whispered something on his ear. When she had finished, Flitwick said, "Very well, Miss Evans, do it."

Flitwick sat on one of his piles of books and Lily cleared her throat.

"Well, hi everyone. As you may know well, the other day my friend, Marlene McKinnon and I had a fight". Marlene rose her head. "I really couldn't find another way to tell her I'm sorry." Marlene turned scarlet. "Otherwise, she wouldn't listen. Marlene: I'm really sorry I embarrased you the other day. It was an accident. I couldn't even think on doing such a mean thing to you. Not to my best friend."

Marlene felt like if she was falling to pieces.

"Marlene, I'm sorry. Could we be friends again?"

Marlene legs lifted her up automatically. She rushed to Lily's standing place, opened her arms and hugged her. Lily knew there was no need to use the Pensieve at all. They were reconciliated.

* * *

Somewhere in the back of the classroom, Sirius Black got a message from his friend James Potter. 

Tonight we shall meet at the Hitting Tree to solve our friend's little furry problem. We'll finish the transformation. Today the moon is big.  
James

When the class was over, James and Sirius exited the clasroom. They had decided to meet at midnight to finish their Animagi lessons at the Whomping Willow.

James saw Lily, Alice and Marlene walking and chatting animatedly together.

Then, both Sirius and James heard someone saying:

"Does she have it?"

"We shall find out at midnight."

Both Sirius and James turned to look, but there was nobody. He had gone.

They shared glances. They could go and investigate who they were talking about and what they were trying to get. It seemed like fun, but that would mean missing the last Animagi meeting. What would they do?


	2. Chapter 2: Meeting of the Marauders

Chapter Two - Meeting of the Marauders

It was twenty minutes before midnight. The weather at the school grounds was fresh. The grass, though damped in mud, was soaked with a gentle layer of dew.

In the distance, running from the castle, could be heard some steps splashing in the soaked grass. The steps seemed to be getting away from the castle.

Suddenly, a jet of light appeared from nowhere and hit the knot of a big tree. The steps walked a little further and got to it.

After that, three teenagers uncovered themselves from what seemed to be an Invisibility Cloak...

* * *

James Potter, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew settled themselves to the shadow of the Whomping Willow.

James took the word: "OK,you guys! This is our final Animagi practice. We will at last reveal what animals we turn into and we'll nickname each other. Remus won't take long, so we will hurry up. Peter, you go first."

Peter, who wasn't really paying attention, gave a little jump when he heard his name. He walked slowly ahead, where both James and Sirius could see him. He pressed his eyes tightly... but nothing happened.

"Peter!" said Sirius frustrated. "I thought we had been over this already! You need to _relax_ in order to complete the Transfiguration!"

Peter gulped nervously and shut his eyes again. Several seconds passed by, and then... he had disappeared.

"Where did Peter go?" asked James.

Sirius was too thrilled to answer.

But before anyone moved to find him, they saw something move among the dark shade of the tree.

"Peter? Is that you?" asked Sirius.

And then, something moved forward to the light. It was thin, slimy, and pinkish. Did Peter turn into...

"A worm?" said James, hardly supressing a laugh.

But what seemed a worm moved ahead. James and Sirius realized it was actually the tail of a bigger animal... though not much bigger. Peter was a rat.

The dark gray rat walked ashamed toward his friends. Then Peter Transfigured back into a human.

"I'm not much of an Animagus, am I?"

Neither James nor Sirius said a word for some seconds. Then, after taking some air so he wouldn't laugh in midsentence, James told him. "Well... at least you could... complete the... Transfig... Transfiguration... Wormtail..."

He breathed again. "Now it's your turn, Sirius."

Sirius walked forward as Peter -now nicknamed Wormtail- had done before. He closed his eyes. Immediately after that, he had already finished the Transfiguration. Sirius had become a big, black dog.

"Wow, Sirius!" said James, while Sirius gave a little walk, recognizing his own new body.

He did not notice, however, that he was leaving his paw tracks on the muddy ground behind him.

"Look at his tracks!" said Wormtail in awe. "They're as big as... as... as pads!"

"Then Padfoot you shall be, Sirius."

Sirius became a human again. "I'm okay with that. Let's see what you got."

James grinned. "So you will." He strode confidently ahead and jumped high into the air. When he landed, he wasn't human anymore. He had turned into a grand white stag. He walked boldly around Padfoot and Wormtail, showing them his prongs.

"Calm down... Prongs", said Sirius, laughing.

Suddenly, they heard something in the distance. Someone was running noisily toward them, howling and scratching everything around.

James Transfigured back. "Get ready, Marauders. Moony is coming".

Remus Lupin was striding quickly toward his friends. He stopped, however, when he saw them. He still had a bit of self-conciousness left.

"Remus," said James, walking to him rapidly. "It's us. Your friends. We're here to help."

"Go... away..."

The Marauders watched their friend as hair sprouted viciously on his neck.

"We won't leave you. We'll stay..."

Remus didn't answer. His mind was already blank.  
James Transfigurated into the stag and the others followed. He and Sirius tried to control Remus, but he just snapped bites randomly into the air. He injured both Prongs and Padfoot.

They ran away. Prongs was the most injured. As Padfoot, he had been scratched in legs and back, as well as in neck and face.

Moony had already calmed down: the painful transformation was over. He gasped. After several minutes, he wandered strayly toward... the school?

"James!" said Sirius, "Remus didn't go under the Whomping Willow on time!"


	3. Chapter 3: The Friendship Token

Chapter Three – The Friendship Token

Though Lily Evans and Alice Grahams were on time the next morning, they had to hurry Marlene McKinnon up. She was still lying on bed.

At last, they could wake her up:

"Hurry, Marlene! We'll be late for breakfast! And if we're late for breakfast, we'll be late for classes as well!"

Marlene started lazily and got up from bed. Her hair was all mixed up and she had some big rings under her eyes. She wore her school robes and fixed her hair magically. Meanwhile, her friends watched impatiently.

When they were crossing the Fat Lady portrait, she opened her eyes widely and seemed to wake up suddenly.

"I... I... I forgot to... give you... something... I need to go get it!" she said in a rush.

"No, no, you can't!" said Lily. "It's getting late already! You'll give us whatever it is _after_ classes!"

Resigned, Marlene walked along with her friends.

"Hey, girls! Wait up!"

For a bitter instant, Lily though the guy calling was James Potter. But when she turned her head, she saw she was mistaken: her frown turned into a wide smile as she saw Frank Longbottom trying to catch up.

"Hey, Frank!" Lily said.

"Hi," answered Frank. "Can I walk with you? I'm supposed to meet Benjy and Bert down at the Great Hall."

"Sure," said Alice.

The four teenagers then walked together. Both Alice and Marlene knew that Lily felt something special about him. It wasn't love, it was just a crush. Frank Longbottom was the most popular guy at school (after James, of course, but Lily didn't think it that way). He played beater in the Gryffindor Quidditch Team. He was good-looking and strong just imagine Cedric Diggory.

They got to the Great Hall. Frank's two friends, Benjy Fenwick and Bertram Aubrey were waiting for him on the Hall entrance. Lily didn't like them as much. They were Ravenclaws, and as most Ravenclaws, Fenwick and Aubrey were a little tough. Besides, Lily thought Aubrey wanted something with her.

"Hi, you guys!" said Frank.

"Hey, Frank! See you got company," said Fenwick.

"And _what_ kind of company! Lily Evans!" complemented Aubrey.

"Well, yeah. They agreed to walk me downstairs. Thanks, girls."

"It's been a… pleasure," said Lily.

And the three boys walked away.

Alice elbowed her. "_It's been a pleasure!_ Damn girl! You really like this guy, don't you?"

"Of course not!" said Lily. "He's just a… good friend. Anyway, I don't think he likes _me_.

It's gotta be either James Potter or Bertram Aubrey. And none of them seems promising…."

Lily, Alice, and Marlene arrived to Slughorn's class that morning. Almost everyone else was there already.

"Why, hello, my dears," said Slughorn. "Please take your seats, Lily, Alice dear, and ¬– well, you too."

The girls sat down embarrassed. They knew that Marlene was the only one of them who hadn't made it into the so-called "Slug Club".

Lily looked around. Yes, Lupin was missing again. She was getting used to his absences. They were some days every month or so. What she thought weird, anyway, was Potter's, Black's, and Pettigrew's absences too…. But what did she care anyway?

"Okay, my dears, allow me to put you up to date. We were about to see Confusement Draughts. Let us see… who can tell me what effects does sneezewort have on people?"  
That was a hard question, but Lily knew the answer, so she raised her hand confidently.

"Mr. Snape?" said Slughorn.

Lily turned around surprised and saw Severus Snape, the most unpopular Slytherin fifth year smirking at her and giving his answer instead.

"They inflamate people's brains, sir."

"Why, Mr. Snape!" said Slughorn. "That is quite right! Ten points to Slytherin!"

And the class went on like that, with Lily and Snape rivaling on getting right answers.  
After Potions they had a free hour, for Dumbledore hadn't managed to find a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor yet.

"Now, Lily," begged Marlene, "could you come _now_?"

"Sure, Marlene."

Before they walked on, Marlene turned around and told Alice: "Er…. Could you wait here, Alice? This thing is kind of private".

"Sure," said Alice gladly. "You two have got things to talk. I'll just wait on the Great Hall."

Lily and Alice arrived to the Girls' Dormitories.

"Well," Lily asked. "What is it?"

"Right…. I don't know where to start. I guess I should apologize first for what I did, and for what I made you do. I shouldn't have. I'm sorry."

Lily hugged Marlene and she kept on.  
"I had thought about it and I think I should repay what you did on Flitwick's class. Listen: my dad sent me this." Marlene showed Lily the old coin she had been sent. "He said it is something special, so I thought on giving it to you."

She handed her coin to Lily and she inspected it carefully.

"Wow!" she exclaimed. "This must be special. And even more if your dad gave it to you…. I can't take it!"

"Well, you have to. It's going to be our Friendship Token. As it is so special to me, I guarantee I'll always have you as my friend if I give it to you. Please, don't reject it. It means a lot to me if you take it."

Resigned, Lily took the coin. "I'll take care of this as if it was my own life."

They hugged again.

"Now, I think we should join Alice downstairs."

And as she had said, she was waiting at the Great Hall. She was reading the _Daily Prophet_.

The headline said: "Hipstriker Abandons Bowtruckle Rights Protest for Mysterious Reasons" and it showed the picture of a hippie-looking wizard.

"Hi, Al," said Marlene, sitting beside her.

"Shhh," Alice hushed.

"What's wrong?" said Lily after taking a seat beside her friends.

"Don't look now," informed Alice, "but those Slytherins are looking suspiciously at you."


	4. Chapter 4: Erik Hipstriker

Chapter Four – Erik Hipstriker

James Potter woke up on the Hospital Wing. He had lost track for how much time he had been there. It seemed so long to him... No Quidditch, no Evans, no fooling around with his friends...

James turned around. Remus and Peter were still sleeping. Sirius was blinking, but as he always did this in his sleep, he decided to just wait.

He hoped Remus would be alright. He and Sirius had hurt him badly two nights ago. He was decidedly attacking them. He (Prongs) and Padfoot were smart enough not to Transfigure into humans while fighting with Moony. If they had, they would be werewolves now.

They had ended up really injured, all three. He, James, had ended up inconcious. Wormtail had had enough reason to run to Madam Pomfrey and Dumbledore. However, the idiot had forgotten to Untransfigure, so he ran all the long way to the castle as a rat.

After a hour or so, Dumbledore had arrived. He had Stunned Remus and had placed him under the Whomping Willow, on the tunnel to the Shrieking Shack. Then he had transported James and Sirius (who were back as humans before fainting) to Madam Pomfrey's, who was waiting at the Hospital Wing already in a nasty humor, for she had been woken up at one hour and a half past midnight.

Now they were there. If James's calculations were right, today was the day Sirius, Peter, and him would be dismissed from the Hospital Wing. Remus would take a little longer.

"Hey, James," said a voice behind him, and James noticed Sirius had awoken.

"Hey, Padfoot".

"Ready to go?"

"All ready," he answered with a grin.

About an hour later, Madam Pomfrey checked on James and Sirius.

"You seem to be alright, Mr. Black," she said. "You're fine too, Mr. Potter. However that scar on your forhead might take a while to fall off".

Madam Pomfrey got her wand and produced a mirror out of thin air. She handed it to James.

"Well, it _is_ noticeable," said James, "but it'll mark me as some kind of hero. Girls will love it."

Some minutes later, the three Marauders walked out from the Hospital Wing.

"Something just bothers me," commented Sirius after a while. "That night, Prongs and I fought Moony off and got injured. That's why we were on the Hospital Wing. But, _what the heck were you doing in there, Peter?_"

Peter's face flushed. "Well, when I was heading to the castle, one of my little paws got hurt... A toe... After I had told Dumbledore, he sent me to warn Madam Pomfrey, and I did... I just stayed there."

"Pathetic," said James. "You stayed at the Hospital Wing for two whole nights just because your hurt your little paw..."

A cold, kiddish voice came from behind. "Why, I knew Pettigrew was an animal, but having paws is a whole different thing."

The Marauders turned around. Severus Snape was sneering behind them.

James and him looked at each other's eyes with a great hatred. They had met even before James had met Sirius, Remus, Wormtail, or Evans. They had met at Flourish and Blotts, while James and Snape were both buying their new schoolbooks. James had accidentally dropped the long pile of books he was carrying on Snape. Snape had been eager to start a fight, but Mrs. Potter had arrived on time to stop it. For each other's displeasure, they were on the same year. Since then, they had loathed each other deeply. Sirius had joined the loathing as soon as he had become James's friend, soon after entering Hogwarts.

"Oh, I know, it's gotta be hard to imagine having paws, being a slithering and filthy pest." James raised his wand. He was about to hex Snape and show him how having paws felt like, when another voice behind him shouted: "Hold it there!"

James froze (not literally).

"Gosh! How can Dumbledore allow so much violence in here!".

The duel had been stopped by a quite curious-looking man. He was very tall, as tall as Dumbledore. He wore an carelessly unshaven maple-colored beard that reminded James of Lily's eyes. His hair, unclean and also maple colored, got to his waist and was only mildly held by a scarlet hair band set around his forhead am I making myself clear?. He was wearing multi-colored robes, sandals, and red-and-blue sunglasses. He looked like some Muggle strikers James had once seen on TV.

"Hand wands over," said the hippie. "I will not allow violence under any circunstamces, not under Erik Hipstriker's nose."

Both James and Snape had forgotten their criminal intentions because of the presence of such a peculiar man.

"Did you say Erik Hipstriker?" asked Sirius suddenly. "The one who organized a movement to save flobberworms some years ago?"

Hipstriker smiled proudly. "That's the one! But I cannot say we were successful in that campaign: people made us stop our protest by threatening on squishing flobberworms to death! That is outrageous!"

"But...," said Peter timidly, "flobberworms are just useless..."

Hipstriker let out a gasp of horror and touched his chest with his fingertips. "How can - how dare you! Flobberworms are human beings just like you and me". Real emotion could be heard in his voice. James even thought some tears were blurring his eyes. "They have feelings."

James thought he was standing before an insane man.

"Give me your wand, you too," he said to Peter, and then to Sirius: "And you too."

Peter's face flushed and Sirius complained. "Why are you taking our wands away?"

"I do not know what they teach you in this... school, if that's what you call a clubhouse of brutes, but as long as you cannot do magic, you won't be able to hurt any creature of Creation," said Hipstriker.

"But I didn't say anything about flobberworms!" shouted Sirius.

"No, no, no! No shouting to your professors, little man! I want your wands now!"

None of the Marauders, nor Snape, seemed willing to follow Hipstriker's orders.

"No?" he finally said. "I'll have to make you then! _Accio_, _accio_, _accio_, _accio wand_!"

Hipstriker had pointed his own wand at each boy while muttering the Summoning Charm. Soon, Hipstriker had all four wands in his hand.

"I shall give them to your belongig Head of House. He or she will know what to do with these," and he walked away as the four teenagers watched awestruck.

"Did he say _PROFESSOR_?" asked James. "He didn't mean _Defense Against the Dark Arts_ profesor, did he?" What was Dumbledore playing at?

"I think he did," said Sirius.

Without another word, Snape marched off, surely to the Potions dungeons, straight to Slughorn.

"I think we should also go to McGonagall," said James. "She will understand." 

Would she?

James, Sirius, and Peter arrived to McGonagall's classroom, where she was talking about Animagi to a group of second years. When she saw them going in in such an abrupt way, she opened her eyes widely and walked forward.

"What on the Wizarding world is happening?" she asked.

James burst against her. "We want our wands back!"

"_DO NOT EVER SHOUT TO ME LIKE THAT AGAIN, MR. POTTER!_" she screamed back. "I have no idea on what your talking about!".

"I'm talking about Hipstriker!" James shouted, though he was trying to calm down. "He took away our wands!"

"_WHAT?_" McGonagall shouted again. "Are you completely sure, Mr. Potter?"

"Of course I'm sure! He Summoned my wand from my own hand!"

"Oh, no!" McGonagall complained. "I _knew_ bringing Erik Hipstriker to Hogwarts was not a good idea! I have to go to the Headmaster. Maybe Hipstriker is already there."

"We will come with you!" Sirius said.

"Of course not, Mr. Black! You'll go back to whatever class you were on before...! By the way, why weren't you in class?"

"We were coming from the Hospital Wing. We were on our way to class." James did not say the whole story.

"And why did you get your wands confiscated on 'your way to class'?"

"I - I dunno! Hipstriker just - Summoned it, I guess!"

"I will get to the bottom of this, Mr. Potter!" she said, and then she turned to the second years: "The class is over!" and she left the classroom.


	5. Chapter 5: Bella and the Prince

Chapter Five – Bella and the Prince

Severus Snape strode his way to Slughorn's classroom. He needed to get his wand back in order to finish his revenge toward James Potter.

"Hey, _Snivellus_!"

Snape froze. How he hated that damn nickname! Surely, James Potter was behind him... But it couldn't be, because the voice had been a girl's.

He turned around slowly. Behind him, in the cold corridor, stood Bellatrix Black.

Bellatrix (or Bella, as her friends called her) was two years ahead of him. She was about to finish Hogwarts. She was a really pretty fellow Slytherin, which had made Snape fancy her some years back. But, on the other hand, she was a cousin of that blood traitor, Sirius Black, who had seemingly decided to turn to the good side and had been sorted into Gryffindor. And still, she was as decided and as inquisitive as her cousin. Snape loved that on her, maybe because he didn't have those qualities himself.

"What are you doing out here on the corridors?" Bellatrix asked. "You're not actually _skiving_ classes, are you, Mr. I-get-the-best-grades-of-my-year-and-my-house?"

And then, he hated _that_ from her.

"I might be," Snape answered simply. He didn't want Bellatrix to know that he had run off from class after being humiliated by his classmates. "What are _you_ doing out, anyway?"

"Doing this, doing that. You know that I'm not very fond of classes... Where's your wand, _Snivellus_?"

Snape answered hastily. "I had a little _incident_ with the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Hipstriker.

Bellatrix groaned. "I HATE that class. But, who knows. Maybe Hipstriker will do it more interesting this year."

"Well -er- I need to go..." said Snipe skivingly.

"All right then," replied Bellatrix. "Good luck retrieving your wand."

Snape, who had already started walking, stopped dead. "How did she...?"


	6. Chapter 6: The Shine

Chapter Six – The Shine

James, Sirius, and Pettigrew arrived to the Gryffindor Common Room. They had calculated some ten minutes before the next class. They checked their schedule and realized with horror that Defense Against the Dark Arts was next. They considered skiving, but they then remembered McGonagall sending them to class. Knowing her, she was likely to find out whether they had obeyed her or not.

Reluctantly, they walked to the room. Only Frank Longbottom was there.

"Hey, James," he said. "It's not usual you're early!"

Though he didn't dislike him as much as he disliked Snape, James didn't find Frank Longbottom as the most likeable person.

"Well, you know," he answered, "life needs variation once in a while."

Frank grinned. "Yes, I guess you're right. I might try skiving someday, then."

It was James's turn to grin, so he did it a little reluctantly.

"I miss the free hours, though," Frank continued. "I heard the new professor is as weird as Binns dancing in a party." He laughed.

_And he has some sense of humor!_, James thought.

"I heard he has this -er- usage of banning wands," commented Sirius matter-of-factly, before James shot him a "shut up" look.

"Erik Hipstriker, I guess," said Frank.

"I believe...," said James.

"Did someone say my name?" said a familiar voice behind James, and he thought he knew who it was. He turned around and, yes, he was Hipstriker.

"Seeing you again, Mr. Potter, though I cannot say it is a pleasure," said Hipstriker. "Sorry I'm late. I see I'm not the only one."

"Wait, Professor Hipstriker!" shouted a distant, yet approaching voice. Evans, McKinnon, and Grahams were running toward them.

* * *

Hipstriker started his class when everybody had arrived.

"Hello, class. My name, as some of you may already have heard, is Erik Hipstriker," he said. "Before choosing this job -if you could call it _a job_-, I dedicated my whole life to the protection of endangered ignored-by-the-Wizarding-community Magical Creatures".

"Professor?" Frank Longbottom raised his hand and talked with a certain mock on his voice. "Could you tell them exactly what you did to protect those creatures?" Evidently, Longbottom knew something about him, and so did almost every Wizard-born guy in the room.

"Well... erm... Certainly, Mr.-"

"-Longbottom, sir."

"Well... I believe you should know I was what you, common people, would call a striker. But, of course, my labor went ahead of common striking. I could even call myself Magical Creatures' Defender by Means of Civilian Resistance. My last movement, before coming to Hogwarts, was an outdoor slumber at the doors of the Department of Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures to protest against the massive murders of horklumps.

"Horklumps should stop being considered as pests and should start being treated as human beings they are".

"But, sir," Longbottom said again, "once, they infested our backyard and we had to call the Department. They were eating off my mother's flowers' fertilizer. Horklumps _are_ pests".

"How dare you?" shouted Hipstriker, suddenly agitated. "The Department of Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures is only an evil institution in charge of the gorey murders of thousands of poor creatures as hurklumps, flobberworms, or chizpurfles. My job was to combat them and to stop the violence they generate".

James Potter was finding that class rather amusing. Dumbledore had somehow managed to find a completely mad professor. Hipstriker was even madder than Professor Vance, who hadn't seemed to control his temper with a first year's unexperience and ignorance.

"You may wonder now what I joined this staff so late this term. Dumbledore asked me to enter Hogwarts quite on time, but I thought it over. It was on the Daily Prophet how Professor Vance ended last term shouting hysterically, pursued by a pack of first and second years, who weren't able to resist her slight impatience any longer. I finally thought it was a good idea. At least, I did, until I found two rather rebellious students attempting to duel on this same school's campus". James knew Hipstriker was talking about him and Snape.

"I am totally against violence, which I will not tolerate while I am teaching in this school. If I discover anyone attempting any kind of violence, as dueling, hexing, cursing, Transfigurating, shouting, menacing, gesturing, frowning, or even thinking violently, I will see myself on the painful need of retrieving that person's wand. I have done it already. Please, stand up if your wand has been banned by me".

James flushed at the thought of standing before all his mates. But at the time as he did, so did almost everyone else.

"Mr. Longbottom, please stand up too and hand me your wand over," Hipstriker commanded suddenly.

Frank Longbottom felt a lump in his throat. "M - me, prof... professor?"

"Yes, Longbottom, you," answered Hipstriker.

"But, why?" asked Frank trying not to seem embarrassed.

"You questioned my love and the dedication of my life. Of course, you insulted those poor Magical Creatures".

Frank turned scarlet red and walked slowly forward.

"Stop!" Lily Evans had suddenly stood up. "You cannot do this, sir. Frank did not know your... habit of taking wands away. He was just saying what he thought..."

Hipstriker interrupted her. "Are you saying that what I do is wrong, Miss Evans?"

"No, sir, not at all..."

"You'll also give me that wand, Miss Evans!"

By the look on her face, James could see Evans was burning in humiliation. He couldn't stand it.

"You will not shout her like that!"

He, James, hadn't been the only one who had stood up. McKinnon and a confused Grahams had done it too.

"McKinnon! Grahams! Wands! Potter, you are under detention! THIS HAS TO BE **_OVER_**!"

A sudden quake quieted the whole room at once. Hipstriker's rageful face turned into a fearful one. Several girls (everyone except Evans, Grahams, and McKinnon) screamed in despair.

The quake lasted about ten seconds before it stopped. By then, the room -and others, by the sound of it- were in a complete havoc.

Quietude followed by a dreadful silence.

Everyone, especially Hipstriker and the screaming girls was breathing hard. Every Gryffindor fifth year was standing up, getting hold of something so they wouldn't lose balance and looking around in a paranoic way.

Hipstriker found his voice at last. "Please, ladies and gentlemen... settle down".

But before they did, a roaring noise came from somewhere below on the Castle. However, this time, no one shouted and no one lost control.They just waited expectantly. The noise grew bigger and bigger. And then, without previous warning, a blinding light shone through the window. It was a white light, but some colors could be seen every while. The witnesses had to put a hand over their eyes to be able to see it.

And suddenly, as it had come, it was gone.

The students were shocked. Some seconds passed before they noticed a bumping noise. Hipstriker had fainted. As Gryffindors they were, they had felt it was their duty to try to aid their professor. But with the latest experience, they just felt like running away and leaving him behind.

Frank, Evans, Grahams, and McKinnon hadn't had time to hand their wands over, so they just left the room with the others. James, on the other hand, knew he would still be on detention after Hipstriker awoke. James hoped Hipstriker had lost his memory.

The Gryffindors fifth years weren't the only ones running toward their Common Rooms. They had become part of a human stampede made by students of every house and every year.

When James, Sirius, and Peter passed by the Hospital Wing, they saw a furious Madam Pomfrey, and, sitting on a bed, a confused Remus.

"What could have happened?" asked Sirius in a confused voice when they had arrived to their Common Room.

"I dunno," answered James. "But whatever happened, it saved us all from Hipstriker's anger."

An incoming owl stopped the Marauders' conversation. Instead of landing near the receiver as owls usually did, the owl dropped the roll of parchment it was carrying on its beak randomly on the Room. After that, it flew off.

James picked it and read it. "Dumbledore wants us down at the Great Hall". He announced to every Gryffindor on the Room.


End file.
